Euthanization?

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LoveMoo11

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Sorry, this is kind of a morbid question, but I am curious. How are cattle commonly euthanized when they are sick beyond treatment or otherwise put down due to mad cow, etc.? I was reading an article about mad cow today and how they had to put down 4 hundred and some calves in a day due to suspected mad cow. My grandfather always used a pistol...but do vets use phenobarb like they do with dogs and cats?
 
I have done it with pentobarbital. An overdose of barbiturates, same way they euthanize a cat or dog, just a stronger solution and a bigger dose. Bullets are used if the farmer has a gun and wants it done that way.
Captive bolts are actually very humane, however, would not be used in a case of mad cow, as that would risk contaminating the bolt with brain material, which is something you definitely don't want to do in a case of BSE.
 
Our welfare code here allows for phenobarb and other similar euthanasiates (but these are only allowed to be purchases and administered by a vet), bullet or captive bolt, both of which require licenses but allow farmers to euthanase their own stock. Cutting a calf's throat is not acceptable under our welfare code because bovines have two supplies of blood to the brain, one in the throat where you would make the cut, the other running up the spine. So when you cut their throats they linger for a long time. Unlike sheep that only have the one blood supply in the throat, and so when they are done it is a quick death. Goats are the same as cattle.

Newborn piglets are allowed to be euthanased by blunt trauma to the head, but not many other livestock are (I'm just pulling these out from memory).

I know other methods frequently used are cutting throats and suffocation (for calves only, obviously), overdose of Rompun (goats and sheep), and quick administration of ketosis solution by IV. These arent condoned in the welfare code but sometimes you do what you have to do the only way you are able to do it.
 
We had to put down Rosaland last year a 17 year old Holstein. She was sick beyond repair. :( I asked the vet to give her a needle and she died with her head on my lap.

I have had the vet euthanize eye cancer cull cows as they weren't even accepted at that time and he used a bullet and then the cows were tested for BSE, as Alberta has a really good BSE testing and funding program.

Bullets are free, but the phenobarbital is around 25 dollars..
 
Keren":279xg3gv said:
Cutting a calf's throat is not acceptable under our welfare code because bovines have two supplies of blood to the brain, one in the throat where you would make the cut, the other running up the spine. So when you cut their throats they linger for a long time. Unlike sheep that only have the one blood supply in the throat, and so when they are done it is a quick death. Goats are the same as cattle.

Have a picture of that one? I'm not seeing that from my anatomy book.
 
.308 or 7mm super mag is what we use... on an old cow that's been good, I would not think twice to euthanize with a drug, but the vet is a long ways away, so the solution is still the same.

a lot of people aim too low on the head, and the cow will go down and get back up, even with large calibers... it takes a good shot....

Anyone who's been around a farm and cattle long enough will not really consider this thread morbid
 
Nesikep":enu6xwzz said:
.308 or 7mm super mag is what we use... on an old cow that's been good, I would not think twice to euthanize with a drug, but the vet is a long ways away, so the solution is still the same.

a lot of people aim too low on the head, and the cow will go down and get back up, even with large calibers... it takes a good shot....

Anyone who's been around a farm and cattle long enough will not really consider this thread morbid

All I use is a 22 long rifle solid, works everytime, never had one get up.
 
milkmaid":nohdek8h said:
Keren":nohdek8h said:
Cutting a calf's throat is not acceptable under our welfare code because bovines have two supplies of blood to the brain, one in the throat where you would make the cut, the other running up the spine. So when you cut their throats they linger for a long time. Unlike sheep that only have the one blood supply in the throat, and so when they are done it is a quick death. Goats are the same as cattle.

Have a picture of that one? I'm not seeing that from my anatomy book.

Hmmm ... never actually questioned it, that was just what I was told. Will look into this further!
 
milkmaid":1hv63j6f said:
Keren":1hv63j6f said:
Cutting a calf's throat is not acceptable under our welfare code because bovines have two supplies of blood to the brain, one in the throat where you would make the cut, the other running up the spine. So when you cut their throats they linger for a long time. Unlike sheep that only have the one blood supply in the throat, and so when they are done it is a quick death. Goats are the same as cattle.

Have a picture of that one? I'm not seeing that from my anatomy book.
milkmaid-what is the name of your anatomy book? I am looking for a good livestock anatomy/physiology text.
 
RR, our program is $225.00 for us and the vet gets payed for the visit and mileage. The program has now been changed to only cows between 3 and 7 years old and they must show neurological symptoms. The hard part is disposal of the animal as the rendering truck will not pick up an animal until the test come back negative.

No Kenny it is not required but is used as an incentive to test, instead of what goes on else where,,SSS.. ;-)
 
I have never seen it running up the spin when butchering a cow. I butcher them at the 900 to 1000 lbs range. I have found that there muscles will jerk a few times like all the other animals I have butchered.

357 to the brain and slice there neck within 45 seconds if I plan on butchering them. But were not allowed to kill cattle any more by law a vet must come out and do it.

If I'm attached to the cow or calf I call the vet to do it and to haul them off because of the stress on our kids.
 
LoveMoo11":x6blktr9 said:
milkmaid":x6blktr9 said:
Keren":x6blktr9 said:
Cutting a calf's throat is not acceptable under our welfare code because bovines have two supplies of blood to the brain, one in the throat where you would make the cut, the other running up the spine. So when you cut their throats they linger for a long time. Unlike sheep that only have the one blood supply in the throat, and so when they are done it is a quick death. Goats are the same as cattle.

Have a picture of that one? I'm not seeing that from my anatomy book.
milkmaid-what is the name of your anatomy book? I am looking for a good livestock anatomy/physiology text.

I've actually got two at the moment; Bovine Anatomy by Budras - run a search for it on google and you can see about 50% of the book's pages - and Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals by Frandson, it's a book that I needed for one of my classes this semester and covers other farm animals as well as cattle.
 
mobgrazer":14h1cilk said:
But were not allowed to kill cattle any more by law a vet must come out and do it.

Is this a local law, or county law? I too am in Va. and I am not aware of this particular law.

Katherine
 
I think it's a county law.


Added more info didn't feel like another post.


I didn't find this out till an animal cop told me. They are having problems putting animals out of there misery that need it. There was a half dead deer on the side of the road last week and I pulled over to keep other cars form hitting it. When an animal cop showed up he asked me if I had a gun and could kill it for him. I pulled an 8mm and gave it 2 pops in the head and drug it off the road. Then he told me about the new law. I should have known to say it was a county thing.
 
Keren":1txz5ybh said:
Cutting a calf's throat is not acceptable under our welfare code because bovines have two supplies of blood to the brain, one in the throat where you would make the cut, the other running up the spine. So when you cut their throats they linger for a long time.

I would be most interested in when this other blood supply was discovered? It sure wasn't covered in my anatomy and physiology classes. Granted, it's been about 30 years since I was in vet tech, but I do not believe the bovine species is capable of evolving to the point of including new blood routes in a mere 30 years. Of course, I could be wrong on that.
 

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